KingLear

by William Shakespeare

director’s notes by Connie LaMarca-Frankel

“How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is To have a thankless child!” (King Lear, Act 1, Scene 4) is one of best-known quotes from KING LEAR. It references a major theme of the play:  the relationship between parents and their children.  As we watch the play, we see the destruction of not one but two families.  But what I believe drew David Frankel, my husband, to want to direct this play is that– infused within this play– are so many of the major issues of our human experience: justice, power, appearance versus reality, self-knowledge, authority, personal responsibly, blindness both literal and figurative, and, most of all, love. Shakespeare uses each of these topics to show his audience the best and the worst of our humanity.

It was amazing to think how the action of one man, who was all too human, could destroy not just a family but a country. And yet, in the end, he sees his folly and is humbled.

There were many nights David and I would stay up discussing the play and its production.  These were glorious nights as we dug into the text, and he explained his vision.

With those memories, it is my hope that all of us connected with the production have been able to the best of our abilities bring David’s vision to audiences.